U.S. Heraldic Registry

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Roman Catholic Diocese of Knoxville, Tennessee

Registration number 20061022A

This certifies that the heraldic arms of the
Roman Catholic Diocese of Knoxville, Tennessee
are registered and described by the blazon below

Arms: On a cross throughout Or, three Greek crosses in fess Gules; within the quarters: I. Of the second a fess indented of three points to chief Argent; II. Azure, a dogwood blossom per saltair of the third; III. barry wavy of the fourth and of the third; IV. of the second, issuant from base a railroad trestle of the third.

Source

Design Rationale

The design of the diocesan coat of arms is dominated by a gold cross taken from the arms of Pope John Paul II, who created the Diocese of Knoxville in 1988. On this cross are placed three red Greek crosses (of equal-length members) to represent that the See of Knoxville is one of the three dioceses that serve Tennessee.

Within the quarters created by the cross are symbols of the region. In the first and third quarters the two seen on the left side of the shield represent mountains and waters to signify the geography of East Tennessee. The silver charge, representing mountains on a red field, has three peaks to symbolize that the Diocese of Knoxville is composed of three vicariates [now four deaneries], and the representation of water in blue and white is given a quarter unto itself to give particular significance to the Tennessee River that has its headwaters near Knoxville.

In the third quarter (upper right) on a blue field is a white dogwood symbolic of the blossoms that dominate the region. The fourth quarter (lower right) has on a red field a silver representation of a railroad trestle to honor the Irish trestle builders who brought the Catholic faith to the region. The colors employed throughout the design are those of the flags of Tennessee and the United States.